Discovering Magic by P. J. Whittlesea

Author:P. J. Whittlesea [Whittlesea, P. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789492523204
Publisher: Tyet Books
Published: 2023-01-26T23:00:00+00:00

THE LOOKING GLASS

Mirrors reveal all. Even the things we don’t particularly want to see. They expose us to ourselves.

In the case of shades, mirrors reveal their true selves. Mirrors enable them to see beneath their camouflage. In general, this is the only way a shade perceives itself. As a shade it is very difficult to see your own disguise. Naturally, you do see elements of your camouflage if you look down at your body. But if you look at your reflection you will only see what lies beneath. The only way to see your camouflage as a shade is in a reflection of a reflection.

If you hold something up to a mirror you will see it in reverse. This is particularly obvious when you hold a piece of text up to a mirror. It is disguised. Not only is it in reverse, it is inverted. If you use a second mirror the text will be reversed once more. The original will become apparent. It will be revealed as it truly is. It’s magic.

Most shades are unaware of this trick. Most of them assume the rest of the world is able to see the real them. This is not surprising, as it is the way they see themselves. On rare occasions shades have come to understand the nature of their predicament. However, without outside help very few crack the secrets hidden behind a mirror.

Naturals have always had a soft spot for preening themselves in front of reflective surfaces. A high quality mirror was very difficult to come by in ancient times and the modern mirror was not advanced until the Venetians set their minds to it. It’s not really surprising they were the ones to advance this technology, considering how self-absorbed and fashion-conscious they were. Also, they had the added advantage of being experts in glass blowing.

Before the Venetians founded a thriving industry in mirror making, a pool of water was your best option. Stones were polished for portability. Later, with the development of alloys, sheets of metal were used. However, the reflections were rarely flattering, or flat. It is a complicated process to achieve a perfectly uniform surface. In order to see a reflection, you need a smooth surface much more than something that is a particularly good reflector. Also, a metal alloy such as copper or bronze produces a tinted reflection. Perfectly fine if you prefer to see yourself with a permanent suntan. However, it requires a serious amount of work to keep such a surface clean and shiny.

The worldwide obsession with perfecting something to satisfy people’s egos continued. Searching for the ideal mirror took millennia. This did have the advantage of concealing the dead from the living. There are now considerably more opportunities to see them uncovered. That is, if you know where to look. Fortunately, most naturals are too busy looking at their own reflections and not those of others.

Developments in glass-making provided a better, although complex, solution to maintaining a polished reflective surface. Glass makes an excellent coating for a sheet of metal.

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